In one of the well known types of dispensing closure such as shown in U.S. Pat. No.3,516,58, the closure includes a body and an actuator pivoted on the body. The actuator includes a dispensing opening which is exposed when the actuator is moved from a closed to an open position.
It is desirable to provide a construction wherein a greater force is required initially to use the dispensing closure and upon the first movement of the actuator to the open position, a lesser force is thereafter used. Such a construction permits handling and shipment of the filled containers with a dispensing closure without inadvertent opening of the closure. In one type of such dispensing closure, an abutment is broken upon first actuation of the actuator as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,223,287, 3,318,494, 3,568,895, 4,095,725, 5,346,100 and 5,341,960. In another type, an abutment is permanently deformable on first use of the actuator as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,869.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a dispensing closure of the type which is constructed to require a greater force initially to use the dispensing closure and upon first movement of the actuator to an open position, a lesser force is required; wherein an abutment or post is broken; wherein the force for breaking the post can be more readily controlled during design and manufacture of the dispensing closure; wherein the post is broken by a force applied to the post transversely such that there is greater assurance that the post will be broken.
In accordance with the invention, the dispensing closure includes a body on which an actuator supporting an outlet passage is pivoted about a transverse pivot axis. A post is integrally supported on the upper part of the body and extends adjacent and below the pivot axis. The actuator includes an abutting surface which extends axially when the actuator is in a position to close the outlet and is adjacent the post. Upon the first movement of the actuator, the abutting surface contacts the post with a transverse force that breaks the post. In a preferred embodiment, the post is formed on a transverse wall of the body and extends axially along an inner surface of the body. The post extends axially in cantilever fashion. A thin membrane may connect the post to the upper part of the body. The abutting surface is provided on an annular skirt on the actuator and comprises a recess in the skirt defining the abutting surface. Preferably, the skirt of the actuator includes a convex free edge which is adapted cooperate with axial ribs on the transverse wall of the closure to absorb any excess force on the actuator during normal operation by contact of the convex edge with inclined surfaces on the free ends of the axial ribs. In a modified form, the body is made integral with the container.